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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. spring — of water
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. spring — a coil
  8. key — in music
  9. club — for golf
  10. key — the most important part
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. key — for a lock
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. spring — the season
  21. club — for dancing
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. board — a committee
  24. pass — a permit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com